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Peter is writing to Messianic Jews living outside of the land of Israel in Asia Minor – modern‑day Turkey. They are facing trials and opposition because of their faith in Yeshua. Gentiles around them mock their devotion to the God of Israel, while fellow Jews who have not yet embraced Yeshua as the promised Messiah, view them as traitors. They are experiencing rejection and divisions in their families, being slandered and insulted, loss of reputation and honor, economic hardship, and possibly persecution by local authorities. They were experiencing fiery trials.

We come to the final chapter of Peter’s letter. People need leaders – including Messiah’s communities. Peter begins with a message for the leaders.

And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches – the communities of God’s called out people. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Messiah. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly – not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never‑ending glory and honor.

And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches – the communities of God’s called out people. Elders, shepherds, pastors, bishops, overseers – they all refer to the same thing: men, not women, who God has gifted to lead the communities of His people.

I, too, am an elder … As a fellow elder, I appeal to you. Peter does not address them an apostle, one of the Lord’s special representatives who carries great authority, but as a fellow elder. Peter is appealing to them on their shared calling as elders – not as a superior authority. That makes it easier for these leaders to relate to Peter and receive what he is writing.

I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Messiah. By calling himself a witness to the sufferings of Messiah, Peter is letting them know that he has seen suffering – but not just any suffering – the most important suffering, the most significant suffering – the sufferings of Messiah. Peter personally witnessed the sufferings of Yeshua – the rejection He experienced, the opposition, the insults, the beating, the humiliation, the crown of thorns placed on His head, the nightmarish whipping and the crucifixion of Yeshua.

Peter saw the sufferings of Yeshua – and Yeshua is the best example of how to suffer and endure, suffer and be victorious, suffer and be rewarded. Peter saw faithful suffering, enduring suffering, overcoming suffering.

And, not only did Peter witness the sufferings of Messiah, Peter himself suffered for following Yeshua – so he could write: And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. Peter’s knowledge of suffering wasn’t academic – because he read books about suffering. Peter understood suffering by experience – the sufferings of Messiah, and his own suffering – so he was in a unique position to encourage these suffering leaders.

Peter has already written that just as Yeshua’s suffering will be followed by His future honor and glory, our suffering, faithfully endured, will produce the same results. Our suffering will result in our shared honor and glory when Messiah Yeshua is revealed to the world. Suffering now, honor and glory later. This truth, this hope, is meant to encourage these suffering leaders. Present suffering can distort our perspective, but the knowledge of future honor and glory enables us to endure patiently and fulfill the responsibilities God has entrusted us with.

As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. The word “flock” is the language of sheep and shepherds. The flock that God has entrusted to the elders are the people of Messiah’s Community.

Why are we compared to a flock of sheep? Why are leaders called shepherds/pastors?

Because sheep are not very smart; and they wander away from the rest of the flock into danger; and they are weak and vulnerable to attack from predators.

This comparison may be insulting but it’s realistic. God’s people are not always the smartest. We are weak and vulnerable and easily led into danger. We are in desperate need of proper care and guidance.

And God, the Good Shepherd, provides that care and guidance by raising up men to shepherd His people.

Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. The flock does not belong to the elders. It belongs to God. The elders are not owners. They are managers with a great responsibility that God entrusted to them. It means that, in the future, God will evaluate them and their management of the people who were entrusted to them.

Leaders, elders, pastors, shepherds, bishops, overseers are responsible to care for the flock. That involves giving the people sound teaching, protecting them from false teachers and other spiritual dangers – and from other dangers.

Caring for God’s people means not just teaching them. It means knowing them personally, not managing them impersonally. It means walking with them through life, through good times and bad. It means not abandoning them when trials happens.

Good shepherding is slow, relational, and at times difficult and costly. It involves time, presence, patience and sacrifice.

Elders, who are gifted by God to lead, must lead God’s people with the right motives. Watch over it (the flock, God’s people) willingly, not grudgingly – not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. God has gifted these men to lead, and He has entrusted them to lead – and so they are to lead – not grudgingly, not resentfully because they could be doing something that’s easier and has fewer problems. They are to lead as a willing response to God’s gifting and calling.

And they are to lead – not for personal gain, not to become wealthy, and not for recognition or status. Their role is faithful management, not personal enrichment.

And they are to lead by example, not by heavy handed authority. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. Peter warns these leaders against authoritarian leadership – using their leadership abilities and their position of authority to dominate others.

The flock is not driven by the shepherd from behind. It’s led by the shepherd who is in front. People will willingly follow a good leader who leads by example – not one who lords it over them.

Where did Peter get his understanding of this kind of leadership? From Yeshua, the greatest leader, who said: Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant. A leader is to serve his people, puts their need before his own desires. He uses his abilities and his authority to serve and protect and bless them, not take from them.

And leader is to lead by example – living according to the truth – not just teaching it.

And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never‑ending glory and honor. Being a shepherd isn’t easy. It can be spiritually and emotionally exhausting. And there will be times when the leader is not appreciated, not thanked – but resented and even attacked.

Peter reminds these shepherds that the Great Shepherd, Yeshua – and the judge of every under‑shepherd – understands their struggles and when He appears, will reward them for their service. If they faithfully fulfill their high calling, He will give them a crown of never‑ending glory and honor.

This crown is more than something worn on the head. A crown represents reward, recognition, authority, and honor. This particular crown is given by the Great Shepherd – expressing His recognition and approval, His commendation to faithful servants: “Well done. You faithfully carried out the difficult responsibility of shepherding My people. You are worthy of honor and reward.”

Many crowns in this world don’t last. Positions are lost, and honor and glory fade with time. But not this crown. It’s a crown of unfading, everlasting glory and honor.

More instructions – not to the elders, but to the rest of God’s people: In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. God leads His people through God-ordained, accountable, tested leaders. Those who are not elders are to accept to the authority of the leaders God has placed over the community.

“But I don’t need to do that. I don’t need to submit to others’ authority. I’m perfectly capable of reading the Bible on my own, praying on my own. I can live for God on my own.”

No. Wrong. You are rebelling against God’s design for His community. You are opposing the leadership structure God ordained to benefit His people.

Here are some examples of accepting the authority of the Shema elders.

Arrive on time for worship – and not just on time – come 15 minutes early to greet your brothers and sisters and talk to them and build relationships with them. If arriving early is not possible, then remain after the service to talk and build relationships. Don’t leave immediately.

Serve in some capacity within the congregation. Find a way to serve, to help. If you can’t find something to do, talk to us and we’ll find something for you to do.

Dress modestly and respectfully for worship. Avoid sloppy clothing and shirts with writing on them.

If I call you and leave a message, call me back promptly.

Along with submitting to the authority of the elders, we are to relate to each other with humility. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.

By nature we are not humble. Because of our fallen nature, we are proud, arrogant, selfish and self‑centered. We think more highly of ourselves than we should and think less of others than we should – including thinking less of God than we should.

Humility is the opposite of pride. It’s a commitment to lower our inflated view of self and elevate our lack of regard for others – especially our lack of regard for God.

Peter urges us to “put on” humility. We put on humility as a conscious, daily decision – like we decide to put on clothes to wear. At the end of the day, after I’ve worn my clothes, I put them in the hamper. The next day I make a decision what clothes to put on, and I decide to wear clean clothes – not the dirty clothes in the hamper. In the same way, humility is intentional. It requires choosing – choosing to honor, esteem, elevate others – not ourselves.

Peter reinforces this by quoting from Proverbs 3: God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. This proverb teaches us that pride places a person in opposition to God. Why? Because pride is based on a distorted view of reality. It’s a kind of lie. It’s a form of rebellion of the creature against the Creator. God does not like pride because it’s wrong and offensive to the One who is so much greater than us.

God opposes the proud. He works against them. He works to eliminate their pride. He brings circumstances into their lives that will humble them. That can be very painful. In contrast, humility pleases God, who responds to the humble by giving them grace – His help, favor, blessing.

Peter’s conclusion: So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor. It’s much better to willingly humble ourselves rather than force God to humble us.

To humble ourselves under the mighty power of God means recognizing that God is God and we are not. He is our Creator and we are His creatures. He is our Lord and we are His servants. He is so much greater than we are, so much wiser, so much better. We exist to honor Him, to serve Him, to please Him, to carry out His will.

We express our humility by submitting to Him in every area of our lives, by submitting to everything that’s written in His Word, and by giving ourselves to serve Him and serve others – not ourselves.

Humility is not weakness. It’s confident submission to God who will protect, provide for, and lift us up – but in His time. So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor. Pride wants honor now. It wants immediate recognition. Humility trusts God to bring honor in His time. If we humble ourselves now, God Himself will lift us up later. That’s obviously the much better choice.

Let’s pray:

Heavenly Father, thank You for knowing us before the beginning of the universe. Thank You for creating us and redeeming us. Thank You for the sure hope we have of living forever with You and Your Son and the good angels. Thank you for giving Your people elders, leaders to guide and protect us. Give all the elders throughout all of Messiah’s communities throughout the world willing hearts, pure motives, and servant spirits as they shepherd the flock You have entrusted to them. Help them lead by example, not by force. Teach us to accept their leadership. Clothe us with humility toward one another, knowing You oppose the proud but give grace to the humble. Thank You for the wonderful promise that if we willingly humble ourselves under Your mighty power, in Your perfect time, You will lift us up. Help us do that. Amen.